


From the Fade

by BritChick91



Series: The Adventures of Lydia and Serena Hawke [1]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Bethany and Carver Hawke Live, Multi, Twin Hawkes, although the rogue is the Champion, relationships are mainly listed for context, rogue!hawke and mage!hawke
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-17
Updated: 2016-11-17
Packaged: 2018-08-31 14:35:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,921
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8582182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BritChick91/pseuds/BritChick91
Summary: In times of such uncertainty, one thing is still true – a Hawke will always find its way home.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is one of several written pieces from a DA universe collaboration with a friend who I do not believe has a AO3 account. 
> 
> The important things to note is there are two Hawkes - Lydia, my Hawke, and Serena, my friend's, who are twins and divide the aspects of various Hawkes between them - Lydia is a rogue and Serena is a mage. Lydia is the eldest and the one who holds the mantle of Champion. Both are heavily pro-mage rights, and sided with the Mages against Meredith.
> 
> Most of the pieces will be from the perspective of Lydia, especially since Serena isn't my character, however she has a pretty regular presence in the story.

“Where’s Hawke?”

Varric gripped her arm, painfully tight even through her armour, but Adaar couldn’t hold it against him. Loghain is pale, still half turned towards the rift Hawke had shoved him out of, even as it closes completely.

Trapping Hawke in the Fade.

“Where is Hawke?” Varric demands, but he knows. Tears are already gathering in his eyes.  
“She chose to stay behind, to buy the rest of us some time to escape.” said Loghain at last.  
There was a long pause, one they could barely afford amongst the remnants of the fighting, before Varric finally spoke.

“It should have been you.” he said to Loghain, voice like ice. “It’s time a Warden paid for Warden mistakes.”

Adaar began to object, but Varric fled before he could break down completely. Loghain waves her attempt away.

“Forget it.” he says. “It’s not like he’s wrong.”

***

Varric locked himself in his room the second they arrived back at Skyhold, armed with paper and ink. They all deserved to know what had happened, but it couldn’t have been more slow and painful if he wrote the letters in his own cursed blood.  
He ends each missive with “I’m sorry”.  
It’s nowhere near enough.

***

They all know when the messengers come that it isn’t good news.  
The couriers are skittish, can’t make eye contact, and the letters are too short for anything but tragedy.

Fenris and Isabela are together when their messages arrive – a slaver hunt took Fenris further afield than he had intended, and Isabela had been kind enough to offer passage back to Kirkwall. They’d been toasting a job well done when the crew let the Inquisition agent through, and the smile faded from both at the sight of him. Somehow, Fenris already knew what the letter would contain even as he tore open the seal and revealed Varric’s writing. The archer hadn’t insulted them with enthusiasms – the words were stark, written in a shaky script – Lydia Hawke was lost.

  
A hero to the last, she had given her life to ensure the survival of others. Varric’s guilt ached in every word, but Fenris was too preoccupied by the sudden rushing in his ears.Hawke was gone. Lydia was gone. The woman he loved, had fought so hard to be with, who he had so longed to build a life with when the chaos settled had been taken away, and he had no idea what to do. There was nothing he could do.

She had left him behind to keep him safe, and now she would never return to him.

A broken sob behind him reminded him that he had not been the only person in the room to receive a letter. Isabela’s was crushed in her clenched fist as she waved at the crew of the ship to leave. They fled instantly.

“Tell me your letter says this is all a sick joke.” she begged. “Hawke’s final revenge for the Tome.”  
Fenris shook his head, feeling numb.

“She’s gone.” he breathed. “She’s-“

“Don’t say it!” said Isabela sharply, even as she wept. “The letter might be pretty clear, but I can’t hear you say that. Then it’s true…”  
Fenris dropped his letter and moved to embrace her. Isabela clung to him like a lifeline, even as they both sank to the floor.

“I loved her…” he said, shaking.  
Isabela gave a watery smile.

“She was easy to love.”

Kirkwall somehow knew, it seemed, thought Aveline as the messenger was lead towards her. The sky had been black with cloud all day, and in every corner of the high stone city, barely a ray of light could be seen. The lanterns were already lit by early afternoon, like prayer candles. Now they all felt like omens.

“Guard Captain, there is… there is news…” said the Seneschal. His expression told her everything before she even touched the parchment.

The Hawke Estate was in chaos when Aveline entered. The siblings, save their eldest (who would never set foot in this manor again, Aveline thought, choking down a sob), had obviously all received the news. A red eyed Merril looked up as Aveline entered, but Aveline was distracted by the wreckage in the hallway. A table was overturned, several vases were in pieces on the ground, and there was a suspiciously fist shaped hole in one of the walls. Merril rose from her seat by the fire.

“Aveline…” she said, voice raw. “You’ve heard…?”

“Yes.” said Aveline, mouth tight. “They’ve been told?” She glanced around again. “What happened?”

“Carver was so upset when the message came.” said Merril. “He went very silent for a moment, then he became angry. He was shouting too – mainly at Lydia, but some at Varric.” She paused. “He’s just upset. He didn’t mean it.”

“Where is he now?” asked Aveline.

“In his room.” said Merril. “They all are. He asked me to give him some space, and I thought about going back to the alienage…” she swallowed. “But she was my friend too, and I can’t pretend that nothing is wrong!”

“Oh Merril…” sighed Aveline, striding over to her. Merril all but leapt into her arms, sobbing.

“I wish she’d never left.” said Merril, her voice cracking. “I wish Varric was here!”

“I think we all do.” said Aveline.  
As Merril calmed down, Aveline realised she wasn’t the only sound of sobbing coming from within the house.

“Hawke always took charge.” said Merril, hearing it too. “What do we do now?”  
To that, Aveline had no answer.

Eventually Aveline had to return to the Guard, but not before she had insisted Merril go to bed. Merril compromised by curling up in front of the fire, but even that was painful. This was Hawke’s chair, that she had always dived into after being out all day in the cold air, drying her hair and her boots in the warmth after getting caught in the rain, reading her letters and planning their next adventures here. Merril stared into the embers as Hawke had so many times, so lost in her thoughts of everything Lydia would never do again that she didn’t hear Serena approach.

“I don’t think Gamlen’s been told.” said Serena softly, startling Merril. She didn’t seem to notice, also staring into the fire. “He might be an arse, but he’s still family. And Charade should be told. Plus Bodhan, Sandal and Orana will want to know.” She paused. “I’m not even sure where they’re staying. Lydia handled getting them someplace safe. Lydia handled most things like that.” She shook for a moment. “She looked after everyone she could. Even when we were fighting, we were always together.” She finally looked at Merril. “I don’t know what I’m going to do, Merril.”

“Kirkwall still needs a Hawke.” said Merril gently. “None of know what we’re doing. We’re going to look here for guidance.”  
Serena gave a bitter smile.

“I’m the oldest now, I suppose. I have to look after my family.”

 

***

 

Breakfast was a silent affair. Carver had let Merril look at his knuckles when they woke up, and she had cleaned the blood from them and helped him wrap them. He had barely spoken, but had given her a weak smile and squeezed her hand gently when she was done wrapping them.

Bethany had spent most of the night locked in her room, eerily silent for the most part. She had yet to speak at all since they had received the news. After picking at a bowl of porridge for almost an hour, she had abruptly stood up and almost inaudibly murmured about needing some air – likely intending to go to the small makeshift Chantry that the citizen of Kirkwall were using since no one had been able to clear the wreckage of the Chantry. Instead, she had opened the door and gave a small gasp that had the others leaping to their feet and following her.

“What is it? What’s-” said Carver, before he too saw the scene.  
Outside the door to the Hawke estate were a sea of candles and flowers, many marked with the Hawke family symbol. Other items were strewn in offering, charms and devices, jars filled with arrowheads, flasks enchanted to hold light.  
Serena glanced at the door and noticed that scraps of paper had been pinned to it. She pulled one off and read it.

“Kirkwall remembers.” she announced to the others in a low whisper.  
Carver pulled another.  
“The mages remember.” he read aloud slowly.  
Bethany took the final piece.  
“We all mourn. We will remember.” she said shakily.  
Merril smiled softly.  
“She was part of Kirkwall.” she said. “Even after what happened. I suppose people have started to hear what’s happened.”

***

Lydia Hawke’s heroic sacrifice turned out to be a lot less heroic and a lot less sacrificial than she was expecting.

The Fade Rift closed behind her as she turned back to the Nightmare demon, still thrashing about even as she sliced its belly open. It ducked low enough that its eyes were within reach and she slashed at them, cutting several in the arch of her sweeping blades. Nightmare shrieked, a piercing sound, and lashed out with one spindly leg. It caught Lydia in the side before she could twist away and sent her flying, smacking back down into the ground with a worrying thud.

Trying to regain control of the situation, Nightmare began to laugh as it staggered towards her.

“Poor little bird…” it hissed. “All alone…”  
Lydia grit her teeth, lips pulling back into a snarl.

“Don’t you know?” she said, pulling herself to her feet and ignoring the wound in her side. “I became the Champion after I killed an Arishok in single combat. I would have stood alone against all of Kirkwall’s Templars to buy the mages some time. I have walked the Fade alone to save mages, and I came to the Inquisition alone, to face their charges and tell them of your fucking Master.” she spat on the ground at that, wiping blood from her mouth as she sheathed her daggers and drew her bow, pouring all of her power into one final arrow. “I am not afraid of being alone… and I AM NOT AFRAID OF YOU!”

With that scream, she loosed the arrow from her bow, and it struck true, plunging into the middle of Nightmare. After a moment’s pause, the arrow ignited from where it was lodged deep in the demon’s flesh, and the force tore Nightmare’s body apart. The demon screamed in agony, spraying its black blood everywhere before collapsing. Clutching her side, Lydia moved to avoid the giant demonic spider corpse, sinking to the ground as Nightmare stopped twitching and began to dissolve into the aether.

“Oww…” she groaned, testing her side. Her hand came back bloody, but the way her torn armour was already sticking to her side indicated it couldn’t be too deep, and was already clotting together.  
“Okay.” summarised Lydia, remaining on her back. “I’m not dying, so that’s a positive. Slight negative – I’m stuck in the Fade. Well, shit.”

After catching her breath, Lydia staggered back to her feet to assess her surroundings. This area still resembled the ruins of Haven, and the Rift the Inquisitor, Varric, Loghain and the others escaped through was very much closed. However, Lydia mused, there may still be demons around, so she decided to find shelter to examine her wounds and decide on a plan of action.

Lydia Hawke was Not Dead, and she intended to stay that way.

**Author's Note:**

> Whew, first piece up!
> 
> If my Hawkes are of interest to you, I have several other pieces I'm considering uploading. This piece will probably have two or three chapters, but most others will be stand-alones, and while with the same characters may be different timelines/events. For example, there's one where it's Loghain who goes into the Fade instead and Lydia heads home after the fight with the Wardens.
> 
> Please let me know what you think, and if you'd be interested in any more of Lydia and Serena's stories!


End file.
